We’re back! We got in to Seattle a late last night. My step-mom picked us up from the airport and thankfully took us to her house to spend the night. We were all so tired it wouldn’t have been safe to drive home. We totally felt the answers to prayers yesterday as every flight had its own miraculous way for Kory to remain horizontal and out of pain.
Cousin Turid drove us to the airport yesterday and helped us with the luggage. We checked six bags each weighing 55 pounds, and had six carry-on bags, none of which were light. I felt like a pack mule. The carry-on was the biggest problem because things were so heavy Kaleb couldn’t even help much, so I was having to schlep everything. The first little miracle was that the pastor of the Filadelfia Church in Aalesund was on the same flight to Oslo and he offered to help carry on some of our luggage! What a blessing that was (he helped carry it off, too.) That flight wasn’t full so Kory got to lie down in the three seats behind Kaleb and I. Whew. A wheel chair was waiting at the gate in Oslo with two men to carry all the luggage and to wheel Kory to the next gate. No problems there. We had four hours to wait for the next flight and there was one place in the waiting area where there were no arm rests between the seats so Kory could lie flat the entire layover. I was still stressed about what was to come, but so far, so good. The flight to Iceland was totally full and the seats where we were sitting had arm rests that wouldn’t fold up so there was no way Kory could have even laid across Kaleb and I. I explained Kory’s situation to the flight staff but they really couldn’t do anything as there was no place to put him. I noticed that first class was completely empty and I asked if we could buy an upgrade so he could lie down there but they said they don’t allow last minute upgrades. I saw there was a lot of empty floor space at the back of first class so I asked if he could just lie on the floor there and they thought that would be okay. Hallelujah. They gave him some pillows and blankets and it was a whole lot better than him sitting next to us.
When we got to Iceland there was another wheelchair waiting and more help with the luggage. The flight to Seattle was eight hours long and completely full – including first class. I felt hopeless at first when they told us there was nothing that could be done, but then miraculously, two people didn’t make the flight. There were two empty seats a few rows behind us so the woman sitting alone in that section got moved to Kory’s seat next to me and Kory was able to lie down the whole flight! It was truly a gift from God. The seats weren’t even curved, they were totally flat, and the arm rests went up, so he had a very comfortable flight and was no worse for the wear by the time we hit Seattle. He slept more than Kaleb and I did so he was even in a better mood when we landed.
My step mom made us BBQ chicken and potato salad and we sat out on her deck and enjoyed a warm summer evening before we crashed early for the night. My worries were all for naught as we made it home safe and sound and Kory had no pain! The seats in our Honda recline all the way back so traveling in our car wasn’t even a problem for him. (I forgot what a nice car we have!)
This morning I was awake at five and took off to the hospital to meet my friend Ann and pray for her before her hip replacement surgery today. She’s been taking care of our apartment building in Seattle so I was glad to be able to see her for a few minutes before she’s laid up. I then made a quick trip to Sam’s Club and Wal-Mart to get some things I thought we’d need back home, said good-bye to my step-mom and we headed north.
It was the strangest sensation to come back to our own house after so much time. Our house sitters left the place spot-less and the yard looked perfect. Flowers were even in the pots on the deck and vegetables had been planted in the garden. Oh, it was good to be home. We all walked around the yard with a sense of awe, picked some plums off the golden plum tree and had our first bite of an old familiar memory. There was a WELCOME HOME poster on our door, a huge plant our neighbor left us, and the phone started ringing right away. Neighbors stopped by, friend’s from church came over with their kids and even the neighbor dog took up residence with us for a while. (Kaleb started yelling for her the minute we got off the freeway, “Here I come Duchess!!! I’m finally coming home!!! – it was so cute.)
Kaleb already went home with his best friend, Timothy, to have a sleepover tonight. I have bags to unpack, groceries to put away and a house to get back in order, but I’m taking my time. I don’t want to get back on the treadmill too quickly. Plants need watering, Kory needs feeding, mail needs sorting and I need sleep already, but we made it home in one piece and that was my only goal for this day. Everything else can wait. Hallelujah!
Cousin Turid drove us to the airport yesterday and helped us with the luggage. We checked six bags each weighing 55 pounds, and had six carry-on bags, none of which were light. I felt like a pack mule. The carry-on was the biggest problem because things were so heavy Kaleb couldn’t even help much, so I was having to schlep everything. The first little miracle was that the pastor of the Filadelfia Church in Aalesund was on the same flight to Oslo and he offered to help carry on some of our luggage! What a blessing that was (he helped carry it off, too.) That flight wasn’t full so Kory got to lie down in the three seats behind Kaleb and I. Whew. A wheel chair was waiting at the gate in Oslo with two men to carry all the luggage and to wheel Kory to the next gate. No problems there. We had four hours to wait for the next flight and there was one place in the waiting area where there were no arm rests between the seats so Kory could lie flat the entire layover. I was still stressed about what was to come, but so far, so good. The flight to Iceland was totally full and the seats where we were sitting had arm rests that wouldn’t fold up so there was no way Kory could have even laid across Kaleb and I. I explained Kory’s situation to the flight staff but they really couldn’t do anything as there was no place to put him. I noticed that first class was completely empty and I asked if we could buy an upgrade so he could lie down there but they said they don’t allow last minute upgrades. I saw there was a lot of empty floor space at the back of first class so I asked if he could just lie on the floor there and they thought that would be okay. Hallelujah. They gave him some pillows and blankets and it was a whole lot better than him sitting next to us.
When we got to Iceland there was another wheelchair waiting and more help with the luggage. The flight to Seattle was eight hours long and completely full – including first class. I felt hopeless at first when they told us there was nothing that could be done, but then miraculously, two people didn’t make the flight. There were two empty seats a few rows behind us so the woman sitting alone in that section got moved to Kory’s seat next to me and Kory was able to lie down the whole flight! It was truly a gift from God. The seats weren’t even curved, they were totally flat, and the arm rests went up, so he had a very comfortable flight and was no worse for the wear by the time we hit Seattle. He slept more than Kaleb and I did so he was even in a better mood when we landed.
My step mom made us BBQ chicken and potato salad and we sat out on her deck and enjoyed a warm summer evening before we crashed early for the night. My worries were all for naught as we made it home safe and sound and Kory had no pain! The seats in our Honda recline all the way back so traveling in our car wasn’t even a problem for him. (I forgot what a nice car we have!)
This morning I was awake at five and took off to the hospital to meet my friend Ann and pray for her before her hip replacement surgery today. She’s been taking care of our apartment building in Seattle so I was glad to be able to see her for a few minutes before she’s laid up. I then made a quick trip to Sam’s Club and Wal-Mart to get some things I thought we’d need back home, said good-bye to my step-mom and we headed north.
It was the strangest sensation to come back to our own house after so much time. Our house sitters left the place spot-less and the yard looked perfect. Flowers were even in the pots on the deck and vegetables had been planted in the garden. Oh, it was good to be home. We all walked around the yard with a sense of awe, picked some plums off the golden plum tree and had our first bite of an old familiar memory. There was a WELCOME HOME poster on our door, a huge plant our neighbor left us, and the phone started ringing right away. Neighbors stopped by, friend’s from church came over with their kids and even the neighbor dog took up residence with us for a while. (Kaleb started yelling for her the minute we got off the freeway, “Here I come Duchess!!! I’m finally coming home!!! – it was so cute.)
Kaleb already went home with his best friend, Timothy, to have a sleepover tonight. I have bags to unpack, groceries to put away and a house to get back in order, but I’m taking my time. I don’t want to get back on the treadmill too quickly. Plants need watering, Kory needs feeding, mail needs sorting and I need sleep already, but we made it home in one piece and that was my only goal for this day. Everything else can wait. Hallelujah!
